Intermezzo
by lovetoseverus
Summary: Remus Lupin returns to Hogwarts during PoA as the DADA professor, teaching alongside his former classmate, Severus Snape. Does their reunion rekindle something old or ignite something new? One part of a larger story. Slash, SS/RL.


**Disclaimer:** The brilliant characters belong solely to J.K. Rowling. The plot and typos are my own. No profit is being made.

* * *

**~ Intermezzo ~**

As the students all filed into the Great Hall for dinner, Remus Lupin took his seat between Professors Trelawney and Sprout. It was not his usual seat but he didn't mind. The extra Ministry guests Dumbledore had invited to the feast were crowding an otherwise comfortable table, sitting to the left and right of the Headmaster, who always occupied the center chair. The scraping of benches and the shuffling of hundreds of pairs of feet mixed with the excitable chatter among the students and the teachers. Remus' mind was elsewhere, however, and he barely registered the events around him. He sighed quietly, absentmindedly spinning his fork between his thumb and forefinger.

In roughly the same seat but on the opposite side of the head table sat Severus Snape – a similar expression of disinterestedness complementing his dark-robed attire. Remus chanced a glance at Severus but found it was difficult to do so without being obvious, as he had to lean forward to look around several people seated to his left. Fortunately, the atmosphere around him was festive and oblivious, as the only other person in the Great Hall that seemed to notice Remus' glance was Severus himself. As they locked eyes for a brief moment, Remus felt his face flush and he quickly averted his glance as he leaned back in his chair. He nervously fidgeted with his utensils again. Almost at once, the plate in front of him filled itself with a large, delicious-looking meal and he was grateful for the distraction, even if it would only last for a moment.

As he looked down at his hand holding the fork, his mind's eye flashed back to earlier that week. His hand. Yes, his hand had been up against the cold, stone wall in his private quarters, his wrist being held there by Severus.

"_Lupin…" Severus growled, but with desire thickly lacing his voice. "God, you are infuriating at times."_

_Remus only grinned up at him through his heavily-lidded eyes. Severus reached for Remus' other wrist and pressed it against the wall so that both arms were above his head; in doing so, Severus leaned forward, the warm, flushed skin of his chest touching the coarse fabrics of Remus' robes. Remus whimpered lightly as he felt Severus harden against his thigh. Severus switched up his hold, putting both of Remus' wrists in one of his hands and using the other to clumsily unbutton Remus' trousers, kissing him roughly on the mouth. Remus melted into the advances of Severus and returned the kiss fervently, pressing his hips forward to rub against his erstwhile lover._

"_Don't call me that," Severus snapped._

_Remus merely grinned, knowing his most private thoughts were not so private when Severus was around, and struggled to free his wrists so that he could guide Severus' body where he wanted him. As though in response, Severus tightened his hold on Remus' wrists and leaned in close to whisper, their faces almost touching._

"_You will not speak of this to anyone," Severus hissed quietly, deadly serious but with a fire behind his eyes. Remus cowered a bit inside at his words but steeled his resolve outwardly. After all, who would believe Remus anyway? No, his best bet was just to enjoy their clandestine meetings and worry about what this meant later. Satisfied with Remus' lack of response, Severus relaxed slightly and let go of Remus' wrists and began removing Remus' robes and shirt. Remus grinned wider, perhaps more to himself than anyone, and dove into Severus' neck and shoulder, nipping at the skin with his sharper-than-normal teeth and trailing his tongue along Severus' jaw-line, his fingers tangling themselves into shoulder-length black hair._

"Remus?" asked a woman, somewhere off in the distance. A gentle hand touched his shoulder and suddenly he started and turned towards the voice.

"Are you feeling alright dear?" came the sound again, familiar to him now as the voice of Professor Sprout. Remus flushed when he realized he had been reliving the moment with Severus in his mind and felt a fluttering panic rise in his throat, wondering if he had said or done something foolish without realizing it. He looked down at his plate and noticed he hadn't touched any of his food. Professor Sprout was looking at him with a concerned look on her face, but to his relief, she seemed to be the only one doing so.

"Oh, yes, Pomona, I'm sorry. I'm fine, thank you," Remus stated while placing his napkin in his lap, now acutely aware of the familiar stirrings of arousal he had experienced during his reverie. But Professor Sprout didn't seem convinced by his answer.

"But you have barely touched your food! Are you sure you don't want to check in with Madam Pomfrey? You seem awfully flushed."

"No, no, really, I'm fine. I've just…" Remus trailed off, thinking how best to answer in order to cut the conversation short. "I'm just a little distracted is all. I've got a particularly difficult lesson to prepare for tomorrow and I'm concerned I haven't been any help to Dumbledore in locating Sev…" Remus paused and cleared his throat, silently berating himself for almost blowing his cover. "… Sirius Black." Remus frowned, feeling like he had just done more harm than good. Fortunately, Professor Sprout didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, you must not be so hard on yourself. Dumbledore is not expecting you to turn up in his office tomorrow with Sirius. It was an open invitation to any of the staff should we be able to offer assistance, no matter how small." She smiled in a kindly way and patted Remus on the forearm before motioning to his plate.

"Try to eat something," she continued. "It will make you feel better." At that, she turned back to her own plate and rejoined the conversation to her left. Remus let out a sigh of relief and rubbed his fingertips absentmindedly across his forehead, not surprised to find it starting to bead with sweat. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he leaned forward, faking a move to grab the carafe of water nearby and looked over to where Severus was seated. Eating his dinner and responding curtly to a Ministry official who chatted busily to his right, Severus did not look over. Remus sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. He must really take care to stay in control of his thoughts while in mixed company – at dinner with his colleagues he can at least pass off his daydreaming with relative ease, but with students it would be much more difficult, and inappropriate. It's just that it had been so long since he had been touched like that…

_Remus felt the last of his clothing drop to the floor as Severus dallied his fingers along the length of Remus' arousal, kissing him roughly. Remus felt weak in the knees and pulled Severus' body into his own._

"_Bed…" was all Remus managed. Severus took his cue and pulled Remus to the right a few steps before pushing him onto the mattress, climbing onto the bed after him. Remus sat up to kiss Severus on the lips but Severus promptly spun him around to a kneeling position with his hands out in front, and then smoothed his own hand up the inside of Remus' left thigh. Remus shuddered at the touch and let out a soft gasp. Severus reached under farther and grabbed the shaft of Remus' cock with his hand and squeezed in a light pulsing manner._

"_Tonight it is my turn, Remus."_

_Remus moaned and tipped his head down, nodding slightly in acknowledgment and trembling with arousal and anticipation._

"_Please, Severus…" he cooed. Severus grinned, although Remus could not see. He secretly relished hearing his name said in this manner. Severus summoned his wand from the dresser and with a non-verbal spell, silently procured some lubrication, which he warmed in his hands before spreading it over the full length of his cock and the insides of Remus' buttocks. Remus writhed gently to the slippery touch of Severus' hand and pushed his hips backwards, trying in vain to make contact with what he wanted most. Severus grinned._

"_Tut, tut, Remus. Where is your patience?"_

_Remus growled, feeling a little wolfish at the denial of pleasure. "I want you… now…"_

_Severus felt those words soar through his body as his fingers and toes tingled excitedly. He threw his wand aside and sidled up on his knees behind Remus. Severus guided the tip of his cock into Remus slowly while he grasped Remus' hips. As he teased near the entrance, Remus pushed his hips back against Severus, eager and even more impatient. Severus could barely stand it anymore himself and thrust into Remus in one long stroke, stopping when he felt his pelvis nestle against buttocks._

_Severus groaned as he closed his eyes. Remus gasped sharply, grabbing the sheets under his hands in a tight grip while closing his eyes and biting his lower lip. The first stroke was always his favorite part – the one motion filled with the most sensation, prickling at every nerve in his body. Severus pulled out and began thrusting slowly, grabbing at every inch of Remus' body as he did so; pinching his nipples, shafting his cock, running his fingernails down his back. Remus arched under Severus' touch and moved in synchronous rhythm, pushing against him._

The unmistakable screech of wooden benches on a stone floor resounded around him and as he rapidly came back to the present moment, Remus realized dinner was over and everyone was emptying out of the Great Hall. He looked around quickly to assess his situation and noticed some of the other teachers standing nearby in groups of two or three, having animated discussions. Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat and realized he was fully aroused now. Thank goodness for the baggy robes he wore or he feared he would have to make some excuse to stay behind until he could safely get up from his chair. Fortunately, it appeared no one had noticed Remus either way.

No one, that is, except Severus.

Severus was already walking towards Remus' chair when the next thing he felt was a hand, roughly grabbing underneath his elbow and guiding him up and out of his chair, and then quickly out of the Great Hall. Remus barely had time to register what was happening when Severus leaned close to his ear as they walked briskly towards the grand staircase. Fortunately the students had all but dispersed and the professors were otherwise occupied.

"I thought I told you no one was to know about us," Severus hissed in a low whisper. Remus was dumbstruck as he turned to look into Severus' face.

"What…?"

"Oh, don't play coy, Lupin. I know what you were thinking about during dinner. Although what you were doing could hardly be described as _thinking_. It's a good thing Professor Sprout was oblivious."

Suddenly Remus realized what Severus was talking about and in horror noticed he was still fully erect. He wondered if Severus had noticed – or any of the other professors or students, for that matter – when Severus had marched him out of the Great Hall. Remus felt his face flush darkly as he checked that his robes were still covering everything. Although he hadn't been paying attention to where they were walking, he wasn't surprised when they both came to a stop outside the door to Severus' private quarters. Remus looked at the door and then back at Severus.

"But no one knows what I was thinking about!" Remus exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter, Lupin!" Severus retorted, but barely over a whisper. "Your mind has always been pathetically easy for me to read, this is true, but I can't have you re-living… _scenes_… in your head in the middle of dinner, or in a classroom. You slip into a trance-like state when you do it. What if you had said my name?"

"So what if I do? Why would that arouse suspicion?" Remus asked, feeling defeated by this conversation already.

"Do you generally moan my name out loud while in mixed company?" Severus asked simply, his left eyebrow arched over his eye. Remus blinked but said nothing for a moment, feeling his heart race at the thought that he may have said something during dinner after all. In the end he decided he probably hadn't or Severus would have surely pointed that out. He swallowed slowly before responding.

"No, I suppose not. I'm sorry, Severus." Remus sighed, looking down at his hands, picking at his nails out of nervousness.

The door suddenly unlocked behind him and then he felt himself being pushed inside. As he looked up, startled, he felt Severus' lips on his, kissing him fervently, Severus' hand at the back of his neck. Every feeling and emotion from dinner flooded back through Remus' body and he quickly brought his hands to Severus' face to return the kiss. The tingling that started in his toes pushed its way out through his eager lips. He heard the door close and lock, plunging the room into utter darkness, and then felt himself pressed against the cold stone wall, its texture cool on his back despite his layers of robes. As his eyes adjusted, Remus could almost make out the silhouette of Severus' face.

A dark room had its advantages, he quickly discovered. Remus gasped sharply, feeling Severus' hand on his cock, rubbing it gently through the material of his trousers. Remus closed his eyes and pushed his hips involuntarily towards Severus' hand, willing him to do more. Remus felt like he was picking up where he left off on his daydream, except now it was happening right in front of him. He secretly rejoiced. He had hoped their last liaison would not be a one-time thing.

"Seems your dinner was entertaining," Severus mused, still rubbing his hand along the length of Remus' cock. Remus put his hands back against the wall behind him, bracing himself. His eyes were closed and he was searching for words with which to respond but nothing came to him. Severus leaned into him and started kissing Remus' neck, lightly at first and then more vigorously as he nipped with his teeth. Remus sighed, almost completely lost in a sort of sexual haze that was befuddling his mind and robbing him of any sense of decorum. Not that it mattered here, he was very much a willing participant, and he wasn't worried how he might act or what he might say. Then he heard Severus snap his fingers and from behind his eyelids he saw a soft glow. Remus wearily lifted his head to open his eyes and noticed a lamp was on in the corner of the room, now dimly casting its light onto the sparse furnishings and gray stone walls.

Severus responded to the quizzical look on Remus' face.

"I'm embarrassed to admit my night eyesight is not what it once was – at least not compared to that of a werewolf…" he trailed off, eyeing Remus from head to toe. The look of desire on Severus' face was apparent, even though he normally hid his emotions well behind his deep, black eyes. Remus still did not know why his shabby and scarred body was appealing to Severus, but had neither the presence of mind nor the inclination to question it at the moment.

Remus leaned back against the wall, wanting to recapture the momentum, and looked directly at Severus, letting his amber eyes pierce the dark, eager eyes of the other. The heat swelled instantly between them and Severus reached down to the waistband of Remus' trousers and began to undo them. Remus assisted by removing his other clothing – an outer robe and white shirt underneath, kicking off his shoes in the process – and then reached out to Severus' shoulders to do the same for him. As their faces nearly touched, their lips found each other again and Remus darted his tongue into Severus' mouth, exploring the other through a rough, breathy kiss. Severus instinctively grabbed Remus' hips and pulled him forward abruptly until their bodies met, the bare skin of their chests touching, each feeling the warmth of the other in contrast to the cool dungeon air of Severus' quarters.

Remus remembered thinking that Severus, naked, was not nearly as slender as he once imagined. While Severus certainly did not boast a brawny build, there was some evidence of muscles in his upper arms and chest, however slight. His frame was sturdy and masculine despite its lean appearance. His skin, pale as though from lack of sunshine, was smooth, yet bore several faded scars. His hair, jet black and soft-looking, hung to his jaw-line and was now a bit tousled from the hasty removal of clothes. Remus sighed to himself. Severus was definitely all man… and hauntingly beautiful.

By now Remus' erection was growing painful and impatient, having been in various stages of arousal since before dinner, and he yearned for his release. Remus reached his hand down between them and grabbed Severus' cock, which was now nearly erect. It didn't need much encouragement from Remus, for as it hardened further, Severus let out a soft moan and pushed his hips into Remus' hand. Remus quickened his pace and rubbed his palm against the shaft until it had exactly the effect he wanted: Severus grabbed him suddenly and turned him around to face the wall, guiding Remus' hands to a position forward and slightly above his head. The wall was cold but it was an exciting contrast to the heat and charged energy in the room. Severus glided a hand down Remus' back, slowly trailing down to his buttocks and then darting in between his legs, indicating that Remus should spread his stance. Remus obliged eagerly, aware for the first time that they weren't even going to make it to the bed.

Severus reached down to sift quickly through the pile of clothes now littering the floor beneath them and located his wand. Standing again, he silently procured a lubricant and warmed it in his hands before preparing himself and Remus. Remus whimpered at the warm, slippery touch of Severus' hand, and it was all he could do to restrain himself from grabbing his own cock and finishing himself off. It was such delicious torture, though, to wait, and he did.

Severus leaned forward and placed the tip of his cock inside Remus and wiggled his hips to tease him. Remus groaned and pushed back against Severus in one long motion until he felt Severus' pelvis against his buttocks. This maneuver earned a loud groan from Severus. Remus knew Severus liked to be in control, usually of absolutely everything, but in this state he could not argue with the pleasure-pain mixture of Remus' actions. Severus wrapped his arms tightly around Remus' chest, thrusting gently into Remus in short strokes.

"Ohhhh God…" Remus moaned, his eyes closed and every nerve in his body tingling with hyper-sensitivity. His pulse throbbed in his temples and he lost himself to the sensations.

Severus increased the speed of his thrusts and varied them in length and intensity. He knew from experience this would drive Remus wild and relished the sounds escaping from the other's lips. Severus leaned forward to nip Remus' shoulder with his teeth, a gesture that told Remus the feelings were mutual, and lingered along the back of Remus' neck to take in his scent – intoxicating, as ever. Severus moved one hand down to Remus' cock and wrapped his entire hand around the base of the shaft, squeezing gently. Remus nearly exploded at the touch and pleaded with Severus to let him come.

"Not yet," Severus stated, a hint of danger to his voice. Remus gasped and thought he would pass out soon if denied his climax much longer.

Severus moved his hands to Remus' hips and guided him in and out along the shaft of his cock until the familiar stirrings of climax welled up within him too. Severus wanted to feel Remus next to his chest when he came and grabbed Remus' body roughly, increasing the speed and eagerness of his thrusts as their warm, sweaty skin touched, chest to back. Remus relished the feeling of Severus against him and it spurned him past the point of no return. He quickly reached his hand down and grabbed his own cock, tugging rapidly until he could no longer keep his eyes open, leaning his head back as he savored the peak of climax. Severus was grinding against Remus as he moaned near his ear. Remus felt like shouting but no sound would come out. Instead his pulse raced as he felt himself take a sharp intake of breath, holding it while white stars burst behind his eyelids and his cock throbbed with climax. Severus' moan got louder and more drawn-out as he climaxed inside of Remus. Remus felt his legs start to give way but Severus caught him and held him tightly with one arm wrapped around his chest.

Remus gasped for air, finally feeling his breath returning to his lungs. He felt his heartbeat in his throat as his whole body started to go limp in a post-coital bliss. Severus wiggled against Remus but did not pull out, breathing heavily over Remus' shoulder. Severus was losing his grip on Remus, now supporting the weight of both of them, and guided them to the floor, laying down amidst their scattered clothing. Severus was not ready to let Remus go and stayed inside of him until both their breathing returned to normal. Remus almost looked like he had passed out, save for a serene little smile on his face and his open, yet heavily-lidded eyes. And as good as that had been, Remus wasn't ready for it to be done yet – there was always a certain lament that accompanied even the most satisfying orgasm – the part of him that wondered how long he would have to wait to return to that euphoric state of being. And the hope that it would always be with Severus.

- o O o O o -

Remus awoke suddenly, disoriented, and looked around, trying to ascertain his location. He felt someone's arm around his chest and he turned quickly to see Severus lying next to him on the floor, wide awake and watching him with an amused expression. All at once, everything seemed to come back to him. He shuddered slightly in the cool air as he realized he was still naked.

"Did I fall asleep? How long was I out?" Remus asked, rubbing his bleary eyes with the palms of his hands.

"About 30 minutes," came the reply.

"Did you sleep too?"

"No."

"Were you watching me sleep?"

"What? No…" Severus responded, probably a bit more defensively than he had intended. It told Remus what he wanted to know but served only to offer more questions than answers. Severus saw that Remus was unconvinced.

"You are very peaceful when you sleep, is all," Severus said quietly, choosing not to look directly at Remus as he said this. It was moments like this that Remus marveled at – the side of Severus that no one but him got to see. Remus smiled sweetly and leaned over, pressing his lips to Severus' affectionately. However, it was clear Severus was not as excited about his display of vulnerability, as his attitude changed almost immediately and he pulled back from the kiss.

"You should go."

Remus felt his heart drop at these words. "Why?"

"Because the only logical reason for you to be in my private quarters would be for me to adminster your Wolfsbane potion, and that time is nearly three weeks away." He paused, considering something that made his brow furrow slightly. "I'm sorry, Remus, but you need to leave. No one can know about… us."

Remus tried to hide his disappointment but the pained expression on his face gave him away – as if Severus would really need to read his face when his mind was so much more precise. Instinctively, Remus reached for his robes and drew them up around his body. He suddenly felt a bit used and wondered why Severus was always so adamant about secrecy. It's not as though someone was about to burst through the front door of Severus' private quarters – and even if they had been inclined to do so, there would be no penetrating the wards Severus always established.

Confused and hurt, Remus stood and began dressing, collecting up his belongings as he did so. As he was fastening the last button on his outer robe, he glanced down at Severus, who was still lying on the floor, propped up on one elbow and looking down at his hands. The expression on his face was revealing, though, and suddenly Remus understood something. The realization made his heart ache for Severus. He knelt down onto the floor next to Severus, who looked up as he did so. Remus tenderly placed one of his hands on Severus' forearm and made deliberate eye contact. He considered his words carefully before speaking.

"I will respect your need for privacy if you will please just answer me one question." Remus' voice was soft, having made every attempt to keep his tone pleasing to avoid putting Severus on the defensive. Severus visibly tensed but said nothing in response – the only thing he could manage under the circumstances, given that he was wholly inexperienced in matters of the heart – his keen instinct (or perhaps Remus' see-through mind) already telling him where Remus was going to tread with this question. Remus moved his other hand up to Severus' face, cupping it gently. "Why are you so afraid to let me love you?"

* * *

**A/N**: This is part of a larger plot but I wanted to start with an excerpt. Reviews are very helpful and much appreciated, particularly in what works and what doesn't - and also to gauge interest for developing this further. Cheers ~


End file.
